JP2003076555A - Installation system of software - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To relieve a burden of a customer in a series of works such as installation of an operating system and application software to a terminal and prescribed system setting and to enable free selection of the operating system and the application system desired by the customer. SOLUTION: The terminal 1 automatically detects a server 2 and establishes a communication enabled state simultaneously as its startup. The prescribed operating system, the application software and their system settings are designated to the server 2 via an input device 4 based on the customer's request specifications which are transmitted to communication equipment 3 after establishing the communication enabled state. The installation and the system settings of the software are executed from the server 2 to the terminal 1 via a network 10 based on the designation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an installation system of software such as an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) and application software to a terminal device, and more particularly to a software installation system via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art After a customer purchases a terminal device such as a personal computer, the customer himself / herself installs an OS and application software and performs a series of work up to a predetermined system setting until the customer can use the terminal equipment. Alternatively, the worker visits the customer to perform work, or the customer performs work on the terminal device deposited at a service base such as a store. Alternatively, when the customer purchases the terminal device, the OS and application software are already installed and ready for use.

[0003]

However, a series of operations such as installation of the OS and application software on a terminal device such as a personal computer and system setting requires a considerable amount of time, and the ID number of the software is strictly adhered to while the work procedure is being strictly observed. Careful attention is required such as entering the correct information. As a result, the first problem in the prior art is that the work may be stopped even if a minor procedure error occurs, and the customer cannot easily know the recovery method in such a case.

On the other hand, in the service for performing the installation work, although the procedure is standardized, each worker individually and accurately performs the work according to a predetermined procedure on each terminal device. It takes a high work style.
As a result, the second problem is that the customer cannot receive the service at any desired date and time. A third problem is that the service quality varies depending on the skill of the worker.

As a fourth problem, if the OS or application system is installed at the time of purchasing the terminal device, the customer will be forced to use the OS or application that he / she does not want, and the customer's software selection. Will deprive him of his freedom.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to reduce the burden on the customer in a series of operations such as installation of an OS and application software on a terminal device such as a personal computer and setting of a predetermined system. The second purpose is to provide a service for performing installation and system installation at the date and time desired by the customer, and to provide a business method for completing the work promptly. The third purpose is to maintain a uniform quality of service by automating a series of operations via a network. The fourth purpose is to enable the customer to freely select an OS or application system desired by the customer.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention is to provide a terminal device, at least one server in which at least one type of operating system and application software are stored, and a command to the server. It is composed of an input device for inputting, and a network connecting the terminal device and the server. Then, the terminal device stores a program for searching a predetermined server via the network and establishing a communicable state with the predetermined server, and activates the program at the same time as starting. The input device installs and system-sets a predetermined operating system and application software on the terminal device from the predetermined server after establishing a communicable state between the terminal device and the server.

A second aspect of the invention comprises the terminal device, at least one server storing at least one type of operating system and application software, a POS terminal, and the network connecting them. The POS terminal inputs in advance the selection of the predetermined operating system and application system to be installed in the terminal device and the system setting to the predetermined server. The terminal device may automatically install the predetermined operating system and set the system after establishing a communication enabled state with the predetermined server.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
The embodiment of the present invention is composed of a terminal device 1 under the customer, one or a plurality of servers 2, and a network 10 such as the Internet for connecting these to each other. Further, the communication device 3 and the information transmitted by the communication device 3 are transmitted to the server 2
And an input device 4 for inputting to The communication terminal 1 stores a program for searching communication settings such as dial-up and the server 2 in advance and establishing a communicable state with the server 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the terminal device 1 automatically detects the nearest server 2 via the network 1 by the communication function and the communication control program, and is automatically connected to the server 2. (Step A1) After the connection, the terminal device 1 automatically sends the identification information such as the MAC address to the server 2. (Step A2) Customer's required specifications such as designation of OS and application software to be installed in the terminal device 1 are transmitted to the input device 4 by the communication device 3 such as a facsimile from a store that sells the terminal device 1. (Step A
3) The operator uses the input device 4 such as a keyboard to input the transmitted required specifications to the server 2. (Step A4) When the server 2 receives the identification information automatically sent from the terminal device 1, the server 2 collates it with the inputted customer's required specifications.
(Step A5) Based on the collation result, the OS and application software to be sent to the terminal device 1 by the selection function, and the remote operation command necessary for installation of these programs and system setting are determined. (Step A6) The control function of the server 2 sequentially sends the program and the remote operation command to the terminal device 1 in an optimum order. (Step A7) The remote command received by the terminal device 1 operates the hard disk and other modules inside the terminal device 1 to install the program and set the system. (Step A8) Furthermore, the remote operation command generates a status signal indicating the result of installation or system setting, and sends it to the server 2 by the communication function. (Step A9) Based on the received status signal, the server 2 has the verification function determine whether the installation or system setting result is good or bad. (Step A10) When the result is determined to be normal, the server 20 sends a work completion signal to the terminal device 1, and the work is completed. (Step A11) If the result is determined to be abnormal, the content of the abnormality is collated with the work progress in the selection function, the program or command is selected again, and the program or command is retransmitted to the terminal device by the communication function. (Step A12) After that, steps A7 to A10 are repeated until step A11.

Note that the step A3 of transmitting the required specifications and the step A4 of inputting the required specifications are performed by the terminal device 1 without using the communication device 3 and the input device 4, respectively, and the charging server connected to the server 2 (see FIG. (Not shown), paying for installed software,
It is also possible to bill the customer at a later date.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the invention according to the second embodiment is a POS having a bar code reader 6.
The terminal 5 is connected to the terminal device 1 and the server 2 via a network. That is, this is different from the first embodiment in that the identification information of the terminal device 10 and the customer's required specifications are transmitted from the POS terminal 5 of the store to the server 2 when the terminal device 1 is sold.
Therefore, before the terminal device 1 is connected to the network 10, the server 2 can select a program or a remote operation command to be transmitted. Further, the procedure for the operator to input the required specifications into the server 2 using the input device 4 becomes unnecessary.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, when the terminal device 1 is sold, the customer's required specifications such as designation of the OS and application software to be installed and the identification information of the terminal device 1 are stored in the POS of the retail store by the bar code reader 6, for example. Input to terminal 5. (Step B1) The POS terminal 5 passes through the network 10
The input required specifications and identification information are transmitted to the server 2. (Step B2) The terminal device 1 automatically detects the nearest server 2 via the network 10 by the communication function and the communication control program, and is automatically connected to the server 2. (Step B3) After the connection, the terminal device 10 automatically sends the identification information such as the MAC address to the server 2. (Step B4) The subsequent steps are the step A5 in the first embodiment.
It is similar to the subsequent steps.

[0013]

As described above, according to the software installation system of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. The first effect is that even if the customer does not have specialized knowledge of the terminal device, OS to be installed, application software, etc., the terminal device can be promptly and surely brought to a usable state with the specifications desired by the customer. Is. The second effect is that the service provider (supplier) can provide the service of OS and application software installation and system setting for 24 hours at the customer's request (on demand). The third effect is that the service provider (supplier) can provide a uniform service to the customer. The fourth effect is that the customer can freely select the OS and application software.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 terminal equipment 2 servers 3 communication devices 4 input device 5 POS terminal 6 Bar code reader 10 network

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device, at least one server in which at least one type of operating system and application software is stored, an input device for inputting a command to the server, and the terminal device and the server are connected. Means for searching for a predetermined server via the network and establishing a communicable state with the predetermined server, and activating the program at the same time when the terminal device is activated. The input device has means for installing and system-setting a predetermined operating system and application software from the predetermined server to the terminal device after establishing a communicable state between the terminal device and the server. Software characterized by Installation system. 2. The terminal device, at least one server in which at least one operating system and application software are stored, and a POS.
The POS terminal comprises a terminal and the network for connecting them, and the POS terminal inputs in advance to the predetermined server the selection of the predetermined operating system and the application system to be installed in the terminal device and the system setting. Have
2. The software installation according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device has means for automatically installing the predetermined operating system and setting the system after establishing a communication enabled state with the predetermined server. system.